Lots of talk lately about the possibility of a revised racing schedule in New York; as Jessica Chapel recently pointed out, Jeremy Plonk proposes a year-round, nationwide schedule, and Paul Moran recently speculated that NYRA is mulling a winter hiatus from racing. Haven’t seen anything to suggest that such changes are actually in the offing,…
Artist Lawyer Ron at work in his studio I heard recently from the good folks at ReRun, a non-profit Thoroughbred adoption program whose mission is to help ex-racehorses find a second career. As is the case with many charities/non-profits at this time of year, ReRun is launching a holiday fundraiser, this one an auction of…
The way Curlin’s imminent departure from the racing stage was treated yesterday bears some resemblance to his racing career: we knew he was important, but he never quite got the attention he deserved. The Sunday morning print edition of the New York Times carried a good-sized story about Jess Jackson’s decision to begin Curlin’s stud…
Saturday was quiet at Aqueduct. Though warm, it was moist everywhere; even when it wasn’t raining, it was hard not feel sodden. And I was inside for most of the time; the jockeys, grooms, and horses must have felt like it was time to develop webbed feet. Two races offered the sort of finish that…
It’s not surprising that as the holidays and end of year get closer, various charities are reminding us about donations. So if you’re looking for a way to help this holiday season, and get that 2008 tax deduction, I offer the following for your consideration: As I wrote recently, the Belmont Child Care Association is…
Reminders of New York City’s Dutch roots are ubiquitous: in the orange and blue colors of the Mets, which come, via the New York State flag, from the orange and blue of the Dutch flag; in the names of places like Brooklyn (Breuckelen), the Bronx (named for Jonas Bronck, who settled in the area in…
A few random racing and other sports-related items this morning: Caught an ad on television last night for an on-line fundraiser for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity that raises money to fight childhood cancer. In 2000, four year old cancer patient Alexandra Scott decided that she wanted to have a lemonade sale to raise money…
We walk into his room and he has his back to us; he’s sitting in a chair, reading the paper, the sun streaming in the window in front of him. His eyes are on the newspaper, but right next to it lies the Aqueduct condition book. “Good morning, Chief.” He pushes his chair back and…
If you all did on Sunday was box Cornelio Velasquez/Jose Lezcano in exactas and play them in daily doubles, you’d have cashed $514 worth of winning tickets, for an investment of under $50. These two jockeys combined for six wins and three seconds, and while I doubt that they figured significantly into anyone’s betting strategy,…
Sunday at Aqueduct features six races in the New York Stallion Series, for horses whose sires are standing in New York State. Three races for the girls, three for the boys; two on the turf; two for two-year-olds; and some personal favorites are making an appearance, some of whom we last saw on New York…
Brooklyn Backstretch 